A/68/PV.45 General Assembly

This is a new experience for me here, and I appreciate it very much. Let me first thank you, Sir. I would like to express my thanks to Director General Amano for his report (see A/68/PV,43). As a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and climatically benign source of energy, nuclear technology has gained a prominent position in the sustainable development of nations, in particular in the industrial, medical and agricultural fields and in producing electricity. The inalienable right to develop, research, produce and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination, including the inherent right to develop a full national nuclear fuel cycle for peaceful purposes, is the very foundation and one of the fundamental pillars of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Those inherent rights can never be suspended or restricted. *1354995* 13-54995 (E) According to article IV of the NPT, not only shall nothing in the Treaty be interpreted as affecting those rights, but all parties have a firm legal obligation “to facilitate, and have the right to participate in, the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy”. Furthermore, in accordance with article III, paragraph 3, even the required safeguards “shall be implemented in a manner designed to comply with Article IV of this Treaty, and to avoid hampering the economic or technological development of the Parties or international co-operation in the field of peaceful nuclear activities, including the international exchange of nuclear material and equipment for the processing, use or production of nuclear material for peaceful purposes”. Likewise, according to articles II and III of the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Agency shall seek to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. It shall also foster the exchange of scientific and technical information and assist research on, and development and practical application of, atomic energy for peaceful uses. Accordingly, along with other statutory functions of the Agency, to assist member States in research on, and development and practical application of, nuclear energy for peaceful uses is its primary responsibility. We believe that this role of the IAEA should be further promoted. The IAEA should be allowed to work impartially and professionally. That is necessary for preserving the authority, efficiency and credibility of the IAEA and the continued relevance and credibility of the NPT. In exercising its inalienable right to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, Iran is committed to its legal obligations. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear activities are, and have always been, exclusively for peaceful purposes. Iran continues to cooperate with the IAEA. All activities in the Iranian nuclear sites are under the 24-hour surveillance cameras of the Agency. In addition, the resident inspectors of the IAEA regularly visit those sites and measure and seal enriched uranium containers. The Agency’s inspectors have carried out over 8,000 person-days of inspection in Iranian facilities, including 100 unannounced inspections. Such an inspections record is unprecedented in the history of the Agency. Based on the most recent IAEA safeguards implementation report, just in 2012, Iran dispatched without delay over 4,000 accounting reports to the Agency. On many occasions, as trust and confidence-building measures, Iran has cooperated with the Agency well beyond its legal obligations. As a result, the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran has always been confirmed by all IAEA reports, including its most recent report, dated 28 August 2013. The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to continue its cooperation with the Agency based on its Safeguards Agreement. According to the joint statement by IAEA and the Islamic Republic of Iran issued following the recent talks at IAEA headquarters in Vienna, “delegations of the Agency and the Islamic Republic of Iran had a very productive meeting covering past and present issues on the 28 and 29 of October here in Vienna; “Iran presented a new proposal on practical measures as a constructive contribution to strengthen cooperation and dialogue with a view to future resolution of all outstanding issues; “Following the substantive discussions it was decided that a further meeting will be held on 11 November in Tehran in order to take this cooperation forward.” This indeed is a new chapter of cooperation with the IAEA. We will continue this approach at the new round of negotiations with the Agency. We stand ready to make the upcoming negotiations a success. Based on our new approach, we will continue our constructive engagement with the parties concerned, in particular the group made up of the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany. The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to resolve all outstanding issues through meaningful, time-bound and results-oriented negotiations. The adoption of a win-win approach is essential to ensuring that negotiations will result in the removal of the legitimate concerns of the other parties and the acknowledgement of the inherent right of Iran to peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including to develop a full national nuclear fuel cycle, and the lifting of all multilateral and unilateral sanctions. Through its constructive engagement and by presenting practical proposals, Iran has demonstrated the seriousness of its desire to solve the outstanding issues once and for all. Therefore, the other parties should prove their genuine political will by seizing this opportunity.

Australia is pleased to have the opportunity to commend Director General Yukiya Amano for his briefing on the achievements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the challenges that it will face over the coming years (see A/68/PV.43). We congratulate the Director General on his election to a new term in that most important role. Australia is honoured to a member of the IAEA Board of Governors and a non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2013-2014. We take very seriously the responsibilities that that entails. Australia attaches great importance to the central role played by the IAEA in improving the safety and security of nuclear activities, enlarging the humanitarian contribution of nuclear technology and verifying States’ non-proliferation commitments. Australia fully supports the right of IAEA member States to enjoy the benefits of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in accordance with their international obligations. All States members of the Agency must work together to ensure an effective safeguards system. Confidence in that system provides the necessary assurances about the peaceful nature of nuclear activities and is the basic foundation for nuclear trade and cooperation, security and continuing progress on nuclear disarmament. Australia welcomes the Director General’s efforts to improve the effectiveness of the safeguards system, including in relation to the conceptualization and development of safeguards implementation at the State level. Australia urges all States yet to do so to bring into force an additional protocol as soon as possible as an essential step in ensuring the maximum effectiveness of the safeguards system. As Director General Amano reminded us in July, constant vigilance and collective action are necessary to ensure nuclear security. This year, we were pleased to note that the Agency and member States continued along that path. Australia also acknowledges the Agency’s efforts in implementing the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, including a series of international experts meetings on topics central to understanding the causes and consequences of the Fukushima nuclear accident. We strongly support the efforts of the contracting parties to identify suitable options to enhance the effectiveness of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which is the principal international instrument for promoting the safety of nuclear power reactors. We also support the Agency’s continued efforts to strengthen the safety and security of radioactive sources, highlighted as recently as last week at the Agency’s conference on that subject in the United Arab Emirates. In conclusion, the external environment in which the Agency operates is highly fluid. The Agency must maintain the capacity to respond quickly and effectively to external developments be they related to nuclear safety, physical protection, nuclear proliferation or sustainable development. Australia will continue to support Director General Amano’s efforts to strengthen the contribution the Agency in promoting the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in areas ranging from cancer treatment to water resources and to the cause of international peace and security. Australia is pleased to co-sponsor and support the draft resolution on the report of the IAEA (A/68/L.10).

Kazakhstan wishes to express its warm appreciation to Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for introducing a most comprehensive analysis of the work of the Agency (see A/68/PV.43). It highlights the current and future roles of the IAEA in pointing the way for applications of nuclear energy and technical cooperation, with a stronger focus also on safety and security measures rather than purely verification. Kazakhstan notes with great satisfaction its collaboration with the IAEA on its own nuclear energy, as well as on non-proliferation and disarmament policies at the regional and global levels. The Agency not only protects us from nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism but also advances human betterment through peaceful purposes. To achieve that, it is important to bring international legal norms into line with the reality of de facto nuclear-weapon States. At the same time, the greatest risks are associated with States that are involved in the black market in nuclear technologies. Compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons by State parties and the improvement of global mechanisms for managing processes in the development of nuclear power and the safety of nuclear facilities are therefore of extreme importance. My country therefore proposes conducting regular stress tests of nuclear plants and protection systems and developing rapid rescue responses under the auspices of the IAEA. To harness nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes, my country collaborates with the Russian Federation on making our uranium available for enrichment at the National Nuclear Centre in Angarsk, Siberia, for use as nuclear fuel in power reactors. We are also working developing the Kurchatov Nuclear Technology Park under IAEA surveillance. We support the IAEA initiative to develop a new non-political and non-discriminatory framework for utilizing nuclear energy based on multilateral approaches to the nuclear energy fuel cycle. Kazakhstan is currently finalizing negotiations with the IAEA on hosting a nuclear fuel bank on its territory. Being part of the Central Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, Kazakhstan strictly abides by the IAEA safeguards agreement. We also adhere to the additional protocol in order to reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism and the smuggling of nuclear weapons and radioactive materials in the region. We collaborate with the IAEA in order to address the environmental concerns of ecological radiation specific to Central Asia, as we are currently doing for north-east Japan. My delegation endorses the IAEA road map proposed at its most recent ministerial meeting. Kazakhstan supports the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East as a solution that supports peace in the region and therefore commends the work of the IAEA towards that objective. Kazakhstan is ready to host any future deliberations to move the process forward. We are consistently implementing the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) in order to strengthen measures to combat the illegal trafficking of nuclear and other materials. In 2011, with the support of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, we hosted a training workshop under Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) for 30 experts from the Central Asian region, funded by the Governments of Norway and the United States of America. We are currently viewing prospects for a similar training workshop in early 2014. As a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Zangger Committee, Kazakhstan maintains the strictest control over its equipment and installations that enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel. It is diligently implementing the recommendations of the first and second Nuclear Security Summits, held in Washington, D.C., in April 2010 and in Seoul in 2012, respectively, and looks forward to The Hague Summit in 2014. My country has ratified and acceded to four major conventions of nuclear security, including the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage. In view of the growing importance of nuclear energy, Kazakhstan has entered into an agreement with the IAEA on technical cooperation for 2010-2015 to develop nuclear energy for nuclear education, medicine and agriculture, research reactor safety, nuclear technology and radioisotope and radiation applications for collective global human security. An issue of great importance to us is that Kazakhstan, though a key and responsible member of the IAEA, is being denied the opportunity to participate in the work of elective bodies because of the rules of procedure currently in place. Kazakhstan fully supports the early entry into force of the amendments to article VI of the IAEA Statute, and we are confident that a solution will be found. I would like to state that Kazakhstan contributes regularly to the IAEA budget and the Technical Cooperation Fund in fulfilment of its financial obligations. We thank the IAEA for its collaboration in the observance of the International Day against Nuclear Tests and in the Nuclear Discussion Forum, initiated by Kazakhstan together with the EastWest Institute. In conclusion, we look forward to another cycle of even more productive collaboration with the IAEA to address global issues of nuclear technology and security.

My delegation joins others in thanking Director General Yukiya Amano for his introduction of the 2012 annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (see A/68/324). Also allow me to congratulate Director General Amano on being elected for a second four-year term, a reflection of the confidence placed in him by members of the organization. Jamaica attaches great importance to the vital work of the IAEA in fostering nuclear safety and security and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear technology. The Agency’s practical and meaningful technical cooperation projects are greatly appreciated by my country and many small developing member States. It is in the promotion of peaceful uses of technology to help improve the lives of people that Jamaica finds its relations with the IAEA to be the most significant. We have a strong interest in IAEA activities related to nuclear science, technology and applications, and we continue to benefit significantly from them. Jamaica became a State party to the Regional Cooperative Agreement for the Promotion of Nuclear Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean in November 2011 and attaches great importance to its cooperation through that regional mechanism. We are pleased that the IAEA has been taking steps to deepen its collaboration with the Caribbean. That has no doubt contributed to the fact that a Caribbean country  has been among the group of new members admitted in each of the last three General Conferences. Those three are Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas. Jamaica welcomes the IAEA’s increasing efforts to collaborate with our subregion and continues to take tangible steps to support those efforts through a number of initiatives, including through the co-hosting of subregional workshops. Jamaica has benefited from projects in several areas and is actively engaged with the Department of Technical Cooperation, Division for Latin America, in developing projects in areas of high national importance, in particular health and water resources management. The project in health complements the initiatives that Jamaica and sister Caribbean Community States have spearheaded in the United Nations and the World Health Organization to address the grave challenges posed by non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Our efforts are focused on both prevention and cure. With regard to the latter, we consider the use of nuclear medicine to be critical. The support of the IAEA for our efforts to re-establish a nuclear medicine capacity for the management of NCDs, including cardiac diseases and cancers, is therefore of vital importance. In recognition of the value and importance of the cooperation projects being undertaken with the support of the IAEA, we have taken steps to meet our current obligations in relation to the technical cooperation agreements. We will make further efforts to meet our obligations in that area, despite serious resource challenges. In the field of research and technology, we are now embarked on the conversion of our reactor from highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU). We express appreciation to the IAEA and the Government of the United States for the assistance that is being given to Jamaica, in particular under the Peaceful Uses Initiative. In fact, we are embarked on a project, in partnership with the IAEA and the United States, aimed at converting the fuel used in our nuclear research reactor from HEU to LEU. Nuclear technology is perhaps the most sensitive field of human technological activity. The benefits and dangers associated with the harnessing of the awesome power of the atom require careful study, safety and security protocols and measures, as well as constant vigilance. In the area of nuclear security, compliance by all members of the international community with treaties and mechanisms that govern the development and use of nuclear material is most important. We look forward to the elimination of all nuclear weapons and the securing of a world free of all nuclear weapons. In the meantime, we resolutely oppose any expansion in the number of States developing or possessing nuclear weapons. It is for those reasons that we regard the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and compliance with it, to be of paramount importance. We share the expressions of concern that have been voiced regarding the failure of certain members to comply with their obligations under the NPT, and we therefore urge all members to ensure that their nuclear programmes are brought under the appropriate safeguards regime. We remain supportive of actions to improve nuclear security, given the lethal and devastating impact that a nuclear disaster can have on our viability and survival. For our part, we acceded to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials in 2005 and have signed the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. We continue to be disturbed at the frequent reports on the loss of nuclear materials. We therefore support the efforts of the IAEA Illicit Trafficking Database, which records and analyses incidents involving nuclear and other radioactive material in an attempt to identify trends and/or characteristics to assist in the prevention of the misuse of nuclear or radioactive material. In conclusion, Jamaica is confident that the valuable and practical cooperation that it has enjoyed with the IAEA will continue and that the fruits of that cooperation will redound to the benefit of all. We remain deeply committed to the goals of this important Agency and will do our part to ensure that nuclear safety and security goals are maintained and strengthened through compliance with the agreements and mechanisms on which we are agreed.

Norway is pleased to be among the sponsors draft resolution A/68/L.10, on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (see A/68/324). Disarmament and non-proliferation are a cornerstone of Norwegian foreign policy. We place the utmost importance on the universalization of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). We therefore call upon States that have not yet done so to join the Treaty as non-nuclear-weapon States. The IAEA plays a crucial role in sustaining the regime, which is essential for international peace and security and in moving forward towards our collective objective of a world without nuclear weapons. Norway reiterates its call for the full universal application of the comprehensive safeguards agreement and the additional protocol and stresses the need to resolve all cases of non-compliance. We are deeply concerned about the prolonged and grave challenges to the non-proliferation regime posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Syrian Arab Republic. The IAEA must be given sufficient resources to keep its safeguards capabilities strong and independent and to be able to evolve safeguards in the light of new challenges and technologies. Norway has therefore been supporting the IAEA in developing the State-level concept in the implementation of safeguards and considers it as an objective, efficient and effective measure in that regard. Norway supports multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle and appreciates the contribution by the Agency in setting up the low enriched uranium fuel bank in Kazakhstan. Norway, furthermore, values the contribution by the Agency in resolving current outstanding proliferation concerns. Norway will contribute financially to strengthening IAEA capabilities in those activities. The IAEA is the keystone of international nuclear security cooperation. We welcome the International Conference on Nuclear Security: Enhancing Global Efforts, organized by the Agency in July. Effective physical protection is crucial to preventing nuclear material from falling into the hands of terrorists and to protecting nuclear facilities against unauthorized use and malicious acts. We therefore urge all States that have not done so to become party to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its 2005 Amendment. At the same time, we must recognize that other multilateral efforts, such as the Nuclear Security Summit process, the implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism are essential to prevent nuclear weapons or sensitive nuclear material from falling into the wrong hands. Those efforts are mutually reinforcing. Norway has devoted particular attention to minimizing the use of highly enriched uranium and greatly appreciates its excellent cooperation with the Agency in this field. My country has contributed substantial voluntary funding to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund. Norway fully supports the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy, as stipulated by article IV of the NPT. The purpose of multilateral fuel banks is indeed to promote that right, while sustaining the global non-proliferation regime. The application of nuclear technology involves far more than generating electricity. The IAEA provides essential technical assistance in the use of nuclear technology in health care, agriculture and water management. The Agency is an important partner as we intensify our efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals. Fukushima reminded us once again that tragic accidents occur and that their effects transcend borders. We all have a stake in improving nuclear safety. Over the past year, Norway has contributed and will continue to contribute substantial financial resources to the IAEA Action Plan for Nuclear Safety, including for the Agency’s work to strengthen safety capacity in developing countries that are embarking on nuclear power programmes or have existing programmes. In addition to improving nuclear safety, we must also do more in emergency preparedness and response. To conclude, the IAEA remains an indispensable partner for our common security and development. We must provide the Agency with the necessary political support and ensure it is fully equipped to meet current and emerging challenges.

It gives me great pleasure to address this Assembly on behalf of my delegation on the agenda item under consideration. My delegation would like to thank the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Yukiya Amano, for introducing the Agency’s informative and comprehensive report (see A/68/324), which details the Agency’s activities during the past year in the areas of nuclear technology, safety and security, nuclear verification and technical cooperation, inter alia. We also wish to congratulate Mr. Amano on his well- deserved re-election. Ethiopia joins other delegations in welcoming the Bahamas, Brunei Darussalam and Swaziland as new IAEA member States as of this year. We consider their decision to be another positive indication of the importance of the work of the IAEA. My delegation commends the IAEA for its continued efforts in discharging its responsibilities to help member States use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. The IAEA technical cooperation programme, including the provision of guidance to member States in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, is of critical importance. In that regard, the development of nuclear power projects and the promotion of the application of nuclear technology to the service of human health, medical service, food and agriculture and environmental protection are worth mentioning. We also believe that national measures and international cooperation are equally essential for nuclear and radiation safety. We would like to underline that the Agency has a key role to play in ensuring that safeguards to address nuclear accidents are strictly implemented, and that the global nuclear safety culture is promoted in a comprehensive and sustainable manner. That is because we believe that the Agency’s safeguards are fundamental to creating an environment conducive to international nuclear energy cooperation in reducing the possibilities of dangerous radioactive leaks through human error or for technical reasons. I would like to reaffirm the commitment of Ethiopia, as one of the Agency’s founding members, to practising the peaceful use of nuclear technologies by respecting global and regional security monitoring and safeguarding mechanisms. In that regard, the Government of Ethiopia is committed to strengthening the national radiation and nuclear safety infrastructure to ensure the safe operation of equipment that uses radiation sources and other nuclear materials by adhering to the promotion of peaceful use of nuclear applications. The Agency’s responsibilities for ensuring nuclear disarmament under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) are universal, and States parties to treaties related to nuclear disarmament and weapons of mass destruction also have equal responsibility for halting the spread of nuclear weapons. In particular, the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1887 (2009) is essential to nuclear disarmament and to addressing nuclear-related threats, including those posed by non-State actors who seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction. The Agency’s continued technical assistance to our Government’s efforts to develop capabilities in the control of tsetse flies, cancer treatment, diagnostic nuclear medicine services, isotope hydrological analysis, non-destructive quality testing, and national nuclear science and technology infrastructure has been useful in many ways. Indeed, we have improved our capacity in several areas, in particular in manpower training, equipment acquisition and expert missions. Ethiopia appreciates the Agency’s consistent and continued advocacy for peaceful use of nuclear technology. It believes that the provision of sufficient and predictable resources to the Agency’s programmes and, more importantly, a balanced distribution of resources among its safeguards, nuclear safety and technical cooperation activities need to be ensured. The technical cooperation programme is in fact playing a crucial role as a means to transfer nuclear technology to developing countries. Ethiopia has benefited from the joint activities of the IAEA and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in the application of nuclear techniques in the fields of crop and livestock production, sustainable control of major insect pests, soil degradation, and food quality and safety. Ethiopia views that as an important contribution to helping developing countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals, including, inter alia, through the improvement of agricultural productivity and childhood nutrition, poverty reduction, ensuring environmental sustainability and the development of global partnerships for development. In closing, I wish to express my Government’s sincere gratitude to the IAEA, particularly its governing body and its leadership, for the vital technical support and continued cooperation that the Agency renders to my country. I would also to reiterate Ethiopia’s commitment — in addition to abiding by its international obligations as a State party to the NPT and other disarmament conventions — to continuing to do its level best to further enhance the positive spirit of cooperation with the Agency.

I would like first to thank Mr. Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his briefing on the Agency’s work and his report to the General Assembly (see A/68/PV.43). I take this opportunity to reiterate the commitment of my Government to two aspects of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, an essential element to development. As recalled by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II at the opening of the Scientific Forum in September, “[t]here is no peace without development and, more specifically, without sustainable development. That is the premise on which the IAEA was established as an organization of Atoms for Peace”. Monaco has been a member of the Agency since its inception in 1957 and has hosted the headquarters of its Marine Environment Laboratories since 1961. In 2010, the activities of the Laboratories were expanded to the terrestrial environment, thereby becoming the IAEA Environment Laboratories. As stated by the Director General, Monaco is also the host of the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre, created in 2012 in the context of the IAEA Peaceful Uses Initiative, launched by the United States of America. The work of this international coordination platform serves the Agency’s member States with the aim of enhancing research and cooperation in countering the consequences of climate change, which acidifies the oceans and poses a serious threat to many marine organisms, especially shellfish and corals. The acidification of the oceans has been the subject of efforts by the Scientific Centre of Monaco for a number of years. I should note that representatives of the IAEA’s Ocean Acidification International Coordination Centre and the Scientific Centre of Monaco presented their work on the subject to the Member States at the June meeting of the United Nations Open-ended Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea. Nuclear applications in the area of health are also essential. In September 2011, on the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Environmental Laboratories and on the margins of Director General Amano’s visit to the Principality, a framework agreement was signed aimed at strengthening cooperation in the use of nuclear technologies in the area of health. As a result, Monaco has committed to working with the IAEA in support of the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, designed to respond to a crisis of a global scale. Through the partnership, Monaco intends to make a major contribution to the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer in low- and middle-income countries, where more than 100 million people could die of the disease by 2020 . In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the Principality of Monaco’s support for the IAEA and its Director General, and to congratulate him on his leadership. I would also like to thank the Agency’s representative to the United Nations, Mr. Geoffrey Shaw, in whom we always find a reliable and effective partner. It is in testimony to that support for continued cooperation that Monaco has co-sponsored draft resolution A/68/L.10.

Let me begin by thanking the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mr. Yukiya Amano, for introducing the IAEA’s annual report (see A/68/PV.43). Let me also congratulate Mr. Amano on his re-election as Director General. I would like to assure him that the full support of my Government will be extended to him. The Government of Japan also welcomes Brunei Darussalam and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas as new members of the IAEA. The Government of Japan would like to express gratitude once again for the great support and assistance that has been provided by the international community for more than two and a half years since the earthquake of 2011, its resulting tsunami and the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). I would like to take this opportunity to briefly explain our current efforts to address that accident. Taking countermeasures against the leakage of contaminated water is the most urgent task for us. As Prime Minister Abe has stated, the entire Government will continue to work in an integrated manner to put its full weight behind resolving the contaminated water issue, while also enhancing the dissemination of accurate information to the international community. With regard to the impact of the contaminated water, increased radioactivity was observed within the port of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in an area smaller than 0.3 square kilometres. No significant increase in radioactive levels has been detected outside the port at present, and the radioactive level outside the port and in the open sea remains below the limit of the World Health Organization guideline for drinking water quality. The nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station were cooled down and stabilized by the end of 2011. A significant decrease in radioactive releases has also been achieved. The Government of Japan and TEPCO are steadily taking measures to decommission the reactors. The decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station and resolution of the contaminated water issue are unprecedented tasks in which we are facing a series of difficulties. A structure to bring together technologies, expertise and wisdom from Japan and the international community, including the IAEA, is needed. In this context, the second IAEA decommissioning mission to address the contaminated water issue will be in Japan towards the end of November, following the mission that took place in April. Currently, two IAEA experts on marine monitoring are visiting Japan in preparation for the decommissioning mission. Japan will deal with the contaminated water issue and the decommissioning work in an internationally open manner and will welcome recommendations and cooperation from the IAEA and the international community. Japan is determined to further contribute to the strengthening of nuclear safety worldwide by sharing its experiences and lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi accident with the international community. To this end, Japan hosted the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety in December last year, in cooperation with the IAEA. One hundred and seventeen States and 13 international organizations participated in the Conference and reaffirmed the importance of strengthening nuclear safety. Japan expresses gratitude to the Malaysian Government for co-chairing the Conference, member States for their participation, and the IAEA secretariat for its invaluable contribution to the success of the Conference. It goes without saying that Japan will actively cooperate with the IAEA to formulate the Agency’s comprehensive report on the Fukushima Daiichi accident. In July, the IAEA successfully organized the International Conference on Nuclear Security, the first-ever ministerial-level conference on this issue at the IAEA. Japan would once again like to express its great appreciation for the efforts made by Director General Amano and his staff. Japan continues to play a responsible role in strengthening nuclear security as a country utilizing nuclear energy. In order to promote the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, it is essential that we strengthen safeguards while ensuring nuclear safety and security. Japan therefore advocates the universalization of the additional protocol in the context of strengthening safeguards. In that regard, Japan welcomes the fact that five States concluded additional protocols in 2012 and is grateful for the work of the IAEA secretariat in this regard. Japan, in cooperation with the IAEA and other member States, will continue to work on the universalization of the additional protocol. The nuclear and missile development programmes of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including its work on uranium enrichment, are serious violations of the relevant Security Council resolutions. A nuclear test by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is totally unacceptable, as it represents a grave challenge to the international non-proliferation regime centred on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and seriously undermines the peace and security of North-East Asia and the international community as a whole. Furthermore, Japan is gravely concerned about the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s announcement in April revealing its intention to readjust and restart its Yongbyon nuclear facilities. Japan strongly urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply fully with all its international obligations and commitments under Security Council resolutions and the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks, and to completely abandon all its nuclear weapons and missile development programmes in a verifiable and irreversible manner. Japan supports the critical role that the IAEA continues to play in resolving the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea nuclear issue. The Iranian nuclear issue is also a serious concern for the whole international community. While taking note of the recent positive atmosphere brought about by the new Iranian Government, Japan urges Iran to comply with the demands of the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the IAEA Board of Governors. We also call on Iran to take substantive action to resolve the issue peacefully. Japan notes that at the most recent meeting between the IAEA and Iran, on 28 and 29 October, there were positive developments that could be conducive to substantive progress towards resolving Iran’s nuclear issue. Japan continues to support the IAEA’s efforts in that regard. We expect to see meaningful negotiations between Iran, the E3+3 and the IAEA, hoping that the negotiations will soon lead to concrete results.

South Africa wishes to congratulate Mr. Yukiya Amano on his re-election as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and to thank him for introducing the 2012 annual report on the work of the Agency (see A/68/PV.43). Over several decades, the work of the IAEA has advanced the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The IAEA’s interventions in an array of important sectors such as human health, water and agriculture have sought to contribute to food security and poverty reduction. The Agency’s interventions in those areas are unique, due to its specific nature, and South Africa greatly values the development and application of technologies that have the potential to profoundly influence socioeconomic development, especially in countries on the African continent. It can be expected that the Agency will continue to do more in those areas, given the growing number of its member States in the developing world. The Agency is also to be lauded for the partnerships it has established in that regard with other relevant agencies of the broader United Nations family. The Agency’s key goal is to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. Member States of the IAEA should therefore continue to work together to enhance the capacity of the Agency to provide more technical cooperation. Events over the past few years have focused much attention on nuclear power generation. A number of States are engaged in processes to increase nuclear power’s share of their energy mix, a move necessitated by the imperatives of economic growth and security of supply, on the one hand, and by the need to reduce carbon footprints and preserve dwindling natural resources, on the other. The Agency has provided important support to newcomer countries as well as those that are expanding their nuclear power generation. Another important pillar of the Agency is its work in verification. The IAEA has unquestionably proved to be an independent and impartial organization that fulfils the task of safeguards implementation in accordance with established agreements with individual member States. South Africa supports the Agency’s efforts to strengthen the safeguards system in all States with safeguards agreements in force and within its legal mandate. In response to the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident two years ago, the IAEA took decisive steps to strengthen the global nuclear safety framework. The adoption of the Action Plan on Nuclear Safety was a milestone and an important display of the secretariat’s and member States’ commitments to taking responsibility for nuclear safety. While nuclear security remains the responsibility of each member State, South Africa welcomes the progress made to strengthen nuclear security at the international level through the important work of the IAEA, which included its hosting of the first ministerial-level conference on nuclear security earlier this year. In conclusion, South Africa remains firm in its commitment to nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We support the IAEA as the only internationally recognized competent authority responsible for verifying and ensuring compliance with safeguards agreements of States parties, concluded in compliance with their obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. South Africa stands ready to work with all member States to strengthen the work of the Agency across all pillars of the IAEA’s work.

We have now heard the last speaker in the debate on agenda item 88. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/68/L.10. Before giving the floor to the speaker in explanation of vote before the vote, may I remind delegations that explanations of vote are limited to 10 minutes and should be made by delegations from their seats.

The delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has before it draft resolution A/68/L.10, on the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Regarding the draft resolution, the delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea once again considers one part of the report to be completely biased, one-sided and without any impartiality. My delegation would therefore like to point to two factors that are critical to understanding the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. First, the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (see A/68/324) has once again ignored the fact that the United States is the creator, progenitor and originator of the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. It was the United States that brought nuclear weapons to South Korea in 1957, not the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Again, it was the United States that increased the number of weapons deployed to more than 1,000 in the 1970s; it was not the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Secondly, the report of the International Atomic Energy Agency has once again ignored the fact that the United States is the perpetrator of nuclear blackmail against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its people. Again, it was the United States conducting blackmail, as early as the 1950s, during the time of the Korean War. Accounts of that time claimed that, by order of Mr. Truman, who was President at the time, the United States would turn the Korean peninsula into a radioactive corridor. By 1957, they were bringing in more and more nuclear weapons. In 2002, the United States officially declared the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea part of the axis of evil, which meant that it was to be eliminated, and listed my country as a target for pre-emptive nuclear strike. Earlier this year, the United States, jointly with South Korea, listed the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a target for nuclear deterrence. Under this policy, the United States continues to carry out successive military excercises with South Korea. Every time they come, they bring whatever they have got, including a triad of nuclear weapons launchable by air, sea and land, B-52 bombers, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, and nuclear-powered submarines. All these vectors carry live nuclear weapons to threaten and blackmail the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and its people, sovereignty, dignity, security and safety. All of this reveal the true creator and perpetrator of nuclear blackmail. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is simply and purely a victim of such hostilities. Unfortunately, the report does not reflect any of those facts. Therefore, if the IAEA is supposed to intervene to settle the nuclear dispute in the Korean peninsula peacefully, it should consider our country and the Korean peninsula with neutrality and impartiality. As to a statement made yesterday, referring once again to nuclear tests and Security Council resolutions, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has made it clear time and time again that those nuclear tests were conducted in response to the rampant and violent infringement of our sovereignty and to the insult to the dignity and national pride of our people, who had successfully launched a peaceful satellite in December 2012. Once again, we would like to make it clear that that was a legitimate exercise of our sovereign power and right under the Charter of the United Nations. It cannot be considered a violation of the Security Council resolutions, which purely reflect the manipulations of the United States and its abuse of power. If our use of ballistic missiles to launch satellites is to be singled out for questioning, the United States is the country that should be brought before and sanctioned by the Security Council. Of all the space-faring countries, it is the number-one launcher and champion of satellites in outer space. As for the position of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea concerning the settlement of the nuclear issue, in view of all the aforementioned factors we would like to make it clear once again that, under the principle of action for action, the United States — as the creator and producer of nuclear weapon and the perpetrator of nuclea blackmail and hostility against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — should make the first move. If the United States moves, we can move, but so long as it does not move we are in no position to move. As long as the nuclear blackmail and hostility continue, we have no other option but to continue strengthening our war deterrent — that is, our nuclear weapon capability. We disassociate ourselves from the adoption of draft resolution A/68/L.10.

The Assembly will now take action on draft resolution A/68/L.10, entitled “Report of the International Atomic Energy Agency”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

I should like to announce that, in addition to those delegations listed in document A/68/L.10 or previously mentioned during the introduction of the draft resolution, the following countries have also become sponsors: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Egypt, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/68/L.10?

One representatives has asked to speak in exercise of the right of reply. I remind him that statements in the exercise of the right of reply are limited to 10 minutes for the first intervention and to five minutes for the second intervention, and should be made by delegations from their seats.

I am sorry to ask for the floor again. Regarding the statement made by the representative of Japan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would like to clarify its position. The representative of Japan made reference to many issues concerning our country’s so-called nuclear activities. I believe that, as usual, he made reference to five major factors. First, he referred again to the nuclear test, which raises a question. Why is Japan clamouring against nuclear testing when it joined the United States in manipulating the adoption of Security Council resolution 2087 (2013) against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s peaceful satellite launch? The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea launch was followed by a Japanese launch. The United States and the Security Council kept silent. Why are we still talking about nuclear tests launched by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea? There is no moral justification for Japan to raise the issue of anybody else’s nuclear activity. It is Japan that should be questioned first. Secondly, the representative of Japan made reference to obligations pursuant to that Security Council resolution. Once again, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea would like to make it clear that it totally rejects that resolution, which was adopted illegally and manipulated by one so-called permanent member of the Security Council. Thirdly, he made the reference to the peace and security of North-East Asia. He gave the strong impression that Japan is a peace-loving country, but it is the opposite. It is becoming a nuclear Power under the nuclear umbrella of the United States. It has aligned its entire territory as a launch pad for attack against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Under the bilateral agreement, Japan is supposed to open all its facilities for the military activities of the United States. Therefore, who is the perpetrator and offender of peace and security in the region? It is clearly Japan. Fourthly, he again made reference to the Six- Party Talks. In the process of the Six-Party Talks, the Japanese delegation raised the abduction issue, which has nothing to do with the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula. It invited the criticism of all the other five participants, but it has never honoured its commitments under the Six-Party Talks. Every one of the six parties has the commitment and obligation to fully honour it, but Japan was the only country that has never, ever honoured its commitment. Therefore, again, Japan has no moral or legal authority or justification.

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 88?